IN T H E C O U R T O F A P P E A L S O F T H E S T A T E O F M IS S IS S IP P I

N O . 2 0 1 8 -K A -0 1 1 3 8 -C O A

M A U R IC E P . G U S S A /K / A M A U R IC E P A U L G U S S A /K

/A M A U R I C E G U S S A P P E L L A N T

v . S T A T E O F M IS S IS S IP P I A P P E L L E E

D A T E O F JU D G M E N T : 0 7 /0 2 /2 0 1 8 T R IA L JU D G E : H O N

. D A V ID H

. S T R O N G JR

. C O U R T F R O M WH IC H A P P E A L E D : L IN C O L N C O U N T Y C I R C U IT C O U R T A T T O R N E Y F O R

A P P E L L A N T : O F F IC E O F S T A T E P U B L IC D E F E N D E R

B Y : M O L L IE M A R IE M cM IL L IN A T T O R N E Y F O R

A P P E L L E E : O F F IC E O F T H E A T T O R N E Y G E N E R A L B Y : L IS A L . B L O U N T D I S T R IC T A T T O R

N E Y : D E E B A T E S N A T U R E O F T H E C A S E : C R IM IN A L - F E L O N Y D I S P O S IT IO N : A F F IR M E D IN P A R T ; R E V E R S E D A N D R E M A N D E D IN P A R T - 0 1 /2 8 /2 0 2 0 M O T IO N F O R

R E H E A R IN G F IL E D : M A N D A T E IS S U E D :

B E F O R E B A R N E S , C .J ., G R E E N L E E A N D M cD O N A L D , J J
.
B A R N E S , C

. J
. , F O R T H E C O U R T : ¶1

. A L in co ln C o u n ty j u r y co n v icted M au rice G u ss o f p o ssessio n o f m eth am p h etam in e

w i th i n ten t to d istrib u te an d m isd em ean o r p o ssessio n o f m a rij u a n a. T h e trial j u d g e

s e nt e nced G u ss u n d er th e ag g rav ated traf f ick in g statu te, M i ssissip pi C ode Annot a t e d s e c t i on
4 1 -2 9 -1 3 9 (g ) (S u p p . 2 0 1 4 ), to f o r ty y ears in th e cu sto d y

o f th e M ississip p i D ep a rtm en t o f

C o rrectio n s, w ith ten y ears su sp en d ed an d th irty y e ars to serv e, a n d p laced G u ss o n f iv e

y ears o f p o st-release su p erv isio n

. A d d itio n ally , u n d er th e s tatu te, th e f irst t w en ty -f

iv e y ears

o f G u ss’s sen ten ce are m an d ato ry , w ith o u t elig i b ility f o r p aro le o r early

release.¶2

. G u ss ap p eals, claim in g th e ev i d en c e w as in su f f i cien t an d h is s en ten ce is illeg al. T h e
S tate co n c ed es G u s s’s s e n ten ce is illeg al, an d w e ag ree. G u ss w as i n d i cted f o r p o ssessio n

o f m o re th an 2 0 0 g ram s o f m eth am p h etam in e w ith in ten t to d istrib u t e in v io l a t i o n o f th e

ag g rav a t ed t raf

f ick in g statu te. T h e j u ry , h o w ev er, w a s o n ly in s tru cted o n in ten t to d istrib u te
th irty o r m o r e g ram s o f m eth am p h etam in e ; th eref

o re, G u ss w as o n ly co n v icted o f p o ssessio n

o f th irty o r m o re g ram s w ith in ten t to d istrib u te t h e d ru g

. T h is d if f e r en ce in th e am o u n t o f

m eth a m p h etam in e m ean s h e sh o u ld n o w b e sen ten c ed u n d er th e m o r e len ien t “ t raf f ick in g ”

sectio n 4 1 -2 9 -1 3 9 (f

) in stead o f

th e “ag g rav ated traf

f ick i n g ” sectio n 4 1 -2 9 -1 3 9 (g ). ¶3

. Wh ile w e f

in d su f f i cien t ev id en c e f

o r G u s s’s co n v ictio n , h is sen ten ce w as im p ro p er.
A c co rd in g ly , w e a f

f irm h is co n v ictio n , b u t w e rem an d th e c ase to th e trial co u r t f o r

resen t en cin g

. S T A T E M E N T O F F A C T S ¶4

. O n Ju n e 2 , 2 0 1 6 , U n ited S tates P o stal In sp ecto r D w ay n e M artin n o ticed a su sp icio u s

ex p ress-m ail p ack ag e th at h ad arriv ed at th e m ail d istrib u t io n cen ter in Jack so n , M ississip p i.

T h e p a ck a g e h ad b een sen t f ro m a C alif

o rn i a ad d re s s b y T erran ce A rm o n d to D an ielle

A r m o n d at a B ro o k h av en a d d ress. M artin t estif ied C alif o rn ia is a k n o w n “so u rce state” f o r

n arco tics co m in g in to M ississip p i. M artin ch eck ed th e n a m es an d ad d resses in a d atab ase

u sed b y th e p o s t a l s e r v i ce an d law en f o rcem en t to see if th ey m atch ed , b u t th ey d id

n o t— M artin claim ed th e n am es w ere b o g u s. ¶5

. M artin e n l i s t e d a K -9 d ru g -sn if f in g d o g , w h o alerted o n th e p a ck ag e. T h eref o re,

M artin co n tacted ag en t s w ith t h e M ississip p i B u reau o f N arco tics (M B N ), w h o arran g ed a

2co n tro lled d eliv ery o f t h e p ack ag e at th e in ten d ed a d d ress. T h e n ex t m o rn in g , d eliv ery w as

attem p ted , b u t n o b o d y an sw ered th e d o o r. P er n o rm al p ractice, M artin l ef t a p i n k

n o tif icatio n f o rm o n th e d o o r. L ater th at d ay , a w o m an t elep h o n e d th e p o st o f f ice ab o u t
retriev in g th e p ack ag e. A g en ts later d eterm i n e d th e n u mb e r w a s a ssig n ed t o S aresh ia

M ack ab ee’s p lace o f em

p lo y m en t

. M ack ab ee w as G u ss’s cu rren t g irlf rien d an d ren ted th e
h o u se w h ere th e p a ck ag e w as ad d ressed f o r d eliv ery

. ¶6

. O n Ju n e 3 , 2 0 1 6 , M artin ag ain o rg an ized a co n tro lled d eliv ery o f th e p ack ag e. T h is

tim e w h en M artin k n o ck ed , G u ss an sw ered th e d o o r. M artin to l d G u ss th e p ack ag e w as f o r

D a n i elle A r

m o n d

. With o u t say i n g an y th in g , G u ss accep ted th e p ack a g e

. M a rtin w as

w e arin g a B lu eto o th e arp iece an d u sed th e co d e p h rase “h av e a n ice d ay ” to s ig n al th e ag en ts

p o sitio n ed aro u n d th e h o u se. G u ss clo sed th e d o o r, an d th e ag e n t s m o v ed in to w a r d th e
h o u se. S o o n af

t er, M artin saw G u ss ru n o u t th e b ack o f th e h o u se. M artin p u rsu ed h i m ,
y ellin g “p o lice” an d p u llin g h i s f irearm f ro m h is an k l e. G u ss su rren d e red as ag en ts sw arm ed

th e y ard

. ¶7

. O f f ice Jerry S tew ard , an M B N ag en t, secu red th e h o u s e

. N o b o d y e l se w as in th e
h o m e. A f

ter e x ecu tin g a search w arran t, o f f icers f o u n d co cain e, a g u n , m arij u an a, d ig ital
scales, an d th e u n o p en ed p ack ag e th at h ad j u st b een d eliv ered

. L ater, it w as d eterm in ed th e

p ack ag e co n tain ed 4 1 2 .5 2 g ram s o f m eth a m p h etam i n e , 1 .3 2 g ram s o f m arij u a n a, an d .3 4

g ram s o f co cain e. C r ack co cain e w as f o u n d i n a saf

e in th e m aster b ed ro o m

. C o cain e w as
f o u n d in a car ren ted b y M a ck ab e e. S h e later to l d l aw en f o rcem en t th at G u ss slep t o n th e
sid e o f th e b ed w h ere th e scales, m arij u an a, an d p isto l w ere f o u n d o n a n ig h t

stan d

.

3¶8

. T h e S tate w as allo w ed to p resen t ev id en ce at trial, o v er th e d ef en se’s o b j ectio n , th at

G u ss h ad f

o rm e rly p lead ed g u ilty to p o ssessio n o f m arij u an a w it h in ten t to d istrib u te in

2 0 1 3

. B ro o k h av e n n arco tics a g en t L isa Jack so n test i f ied th at G u s s w as liv in g w ith a
d if f eren t w o m an at th at t i me

. A search o f th a t w o m a n ’s h o u s e resu l ted in f in d i n g a scale

w i th m e th am

p h e tam in e resid u e o n it an d m a r ij u an a.
A N A L Y S IS

I. S u f

f icien cy o f

th e E v id en ce ¶9

. G u ss claim s th e ev id en c e wa s in su f f icien t t o sh o w h e h ad k n o w led g e th at th e p ack a g e
h e accep ted f

ro m th e U n ited S tates P o stal S erv ice co n tain ed m eth am p h etam in e. ¶1 0

. “A d irected v erd ict, j u d g m en t n o tw ith s tan d in g a v erd ict an d a req u est f o r p erem p to ry
in stru ctio n all ch a llen g e th e leg al su f f icien cy o f th e ev id en ce p resen ted at t rial.” Wo o d s v.
S ta te , 2 4 2 S o

. 3 d 4 7 , 5 4 (¶2 4 ) (M iss. 2 0 1 8 ). “[ T ] h e critical in q u iry is w h eth er th e ev id en ce
sh o w s b ey o n d a reaso n ab le d o u b t th at th e a c cu sed co m m itted t h e a ct ch arg ed , an d th at h e
d id so u n d er su c h circu m stan ces t h at ev ery elem en t o f t h e o f f en s e ex isted [ .] ” S

w a n a g a n v.
S ta te , 2 2 9 S o

. 3 d 6 9 8 , 7 0 3 (¶1 8 ) (M iss. 2 0 1 7 ) (q u o tin g F a g a n v. S t a t e , 1 7 1 S o

. 3 d 4 9 6 , 5 0 3 (¶3 6 ) (M iss. 2 0 1 5 ))

. T h e r e v iew in g co u rt “m u st a ccep t as tru e all cred ib le ev id en ce

co n sisten t w ith g u ilt” an d g iv e t h e S tate “th e b en ef it o f all f av o rab le in f

eren ces th at m ay

reaso n ab ly b e d raw n f

ro m th e ev id en c e.” C o w a rt v. S ta te , 1 7 8 S o

. 3 d 6 5 1 , 6 6 6 (¶4 1 ) (M iss.

2 0 1 5 ) (q u o t in g G in n v. S ta te , 8 6 0 S o . 2 d 6 7 5 , 6 8 5 (¶3 1 ) (M iss. 2 0 0 3 )). ¶1 1

. “ T h e t w o e s s e n t i al elem en ts o f d ru g p o ssessio n a r e ( 1 ) k n o w l e d g e a n d ( 2 )

p o ssessio n .” D u n ca n v. S ta te , 2 4 0 S o

. 3 d 5 1 9 , 5 2 3 (¶2 0 ) (M iss. C t. A p p

. 2 0 1 8 ) (q u o tin g

4O ’

D o n n ell v. S t a t e , 1 7 3 S o

. 3 d 9 0 7 , 9 1 6 (¶2 2 ) (M i ss. C t

. A p p

. 2 0 1 5 ) (citin g M iss. C o d e
A n n

. § 4 1 -2 9 -1 3 9 (c))). “ T o su p p o rt a co n v ictio n f o r p o ssessio n o f a co n t ro lled su b stan ce,
‘th ere m u st b e su f

f icien t f acts to w arran t a f

in d in g th at th e d ef

en d an t w as aw are o f th e

p resen ce an d c h aracter o f t h e p articu lar su b stan c e an d w as in ten tio n ally an d co n scio u sly in

p o ssessio n o f it.’” G l id

d en v. S t a te , 7 4 S o

. 3 d 3 4 2 , 3 4 5 -4 6 (¶1 2 ) (M iss. 2 0 1 1 ) (q u o tin g

M c C l e l l a n v. S ta te , 3 4 S o

. 3 d 5 4 8 , 5 5 3 (¶1 5 ) (M iss. 2 0 1 0 )). F o r co n s tru ctiv e p o ssessio n , th e d ru g m

u st b e f o u n d n ear th e d e f

en d an t’s p e rso n in a p lace w h ere th e d ef e n d an t ex ercises

d o m in io n o r c o n t r o l

. I

d

. at 3 4 8 ( ¶2 0 ) (q u o tin g H u d s o n v. S ta te , 3 0 S o

. 2 d 1 1 9 9 , 1 2 0 3 -0 4 (¶1 1 ) (M iss. 2 0 1 0 )). ¶1 2

. G u ss claim s h e h ad n eith er k n o w led g e n o r p o ssessio n , claim in g M ack ab ee w as th e

p erso n ex p ectin g t h e p ack ag e, an d th ere i s n o ev id en ce h e k n ew o f th e p a c k a g e ’ s

co n ten t s— h e m erely a c c e p t e d th e p ack a g e. We d isag r ee. A j u ry co u ld f in d b ey o n d a

reaso n a b l e d o u b t th at G u ss w as aw a re o f th e p resen ce a n d ch a r acter o f th e p ack ag e o f

m eth a m p h etam in e an d i n ten t io n ally an d co n scio u s ly p o ssessed it. G u ss a ccep ted th e

p ack ag e af

ter M artin an n o u n ced th at it w a s f o r “ D a n i e l l e A rm a n d .” M a r tin also testif

ied

th at in th e co n tro l led d eliv eries h e h a d m a d e i n t h e p ast, a p erso n h ad n ev er accep ted a

p ack ag e w ith a b o g u s n am e o n it u n less it co n tain ed so m e th in g illeg al. A lth o u g h M ack ab ee

ren ted th e h o u se, G u ss w as th e o n ly p erso n in th e h o u se w h en th e p ack ag e w as d eliv e red

. A s th e S t ate su g g e s t s , i t co u ld b e in f erred th a t M ack ab ee k n ew t h e p ack a g e w o u ld b e
d eliv ered th at d ay , af

t er h av in g arran g ed d eliv ery th e d ay b ef o r e w ith th e p o st o f

f ice. ¶1 3

. A d d itio n ally , w h e n M artin an sw ered t h e M B N ag en ts at th e f ro n t d o o r, G u ss f

led o u t

5th e b ack d o o r an d i n to a f i eld o f t all w eed s. It is w ell e s tab lish ed “th at f lig h t i s ad m issib le

as ev id en ce o f

co n scio u sn ess o f

g u ilt.” F u selier v. S ta te , 7 0 2 S o

. 2 d 3 8 8 , 3 9 0 (¶4 ) (M iss.

1 9 9 7 ). T h e j u ry

co u ld h a v e reaso n ab ly

in f e rred th at G u ss’s f

lig h t sh o w ed h e k n ew illeg al

d ru g s w ere in th e p ack ag e. ¶1 4

. S u f

f i cien t ev id en ce to f

in d in ten t to sell w as sh o w n b y th e d ig i tal scale o n G u ss’s sid e

o f th e b e d an d th e larg e am o u n t o f m eth am p h etam in e in th e p ack ag e, as w ell as G u ss’s p rio r

co n v ictio n f

o r in ten t to sell m a rij u an a. A g en t S tew art testif ied th e m eth am

p h etam in e in th e

p ack ag e w as w o rth ap p ro x i m ately $ 3 ,8 0 0

. T h e S tate p resen ted su f f i cien t ev id en c e f

o r a j u ry

to f in d b ey o n d a reaso n ab le d o u b t th a t G u s s w a s aw a re th e p ack ag e co n tain ed d ru g s an d

in ten d ed to sell th em

.
II. S en ten c e ¶1 5

. G u ss w as in d icted u n d er th e “ag g rav ated traf f ick in g ” statu t e, sectio n 4 1 -2 9 -1 3 9 (g ),

f o r p o s sessio n o f 2 0 0 g ram s o r m o re o f m eth am p h etam in e w i th in ten t to d istr i b u t e

. T h e

sen ten ce f

o r co n v ictio n u n d er th is statu te sp an s tw en ty -f i v e y ears to lif

e in p riso n , w ith th e
f irst tw en t y -f

iv e y ears b e in g m an d ato ry

. T h e trial co u rt sen ten ced G u ss u n d er th is statu te.

T h e j u ry , h o w ev er, w as o n ly in stru cted to co n s id er w h eth e r G u ss w as in p o ssessio n o f th irty

o r m o r e g ram s o f m eth am p h etam in e w ith in ten t t o d i strib u te, an d th is o p tio n w as ch eck

m ark e d o n th e co u rt’s v erd ict f o rm

. A cco rd in g ly , G u s s w a s o n ly co n v icted o f “ t raf f ick in g ”

u n d er sectio n 4 1 -2 9 -1 3 9 (f ). T h e sen ten ce f

o r th is crim e carries a term o f n o t less th an ten

y ears n o r o v er f

o rty y ears, w i th th e f

irst ten y e a rs b ein g m an d ato ry

. ¶1 6

. T h e S tate co n ced es th at b ecau se G u ss w as co n v icted f o r p o ssessio n o f th irty g ram s

6o r m o re o f m eth am p h etam in e, h e sh o u ld h av e b e e n sen ten ced f o r traf f ick i n g u n d er sectio n
4 1

- 2 9

- 1 3 9 (f

) an d n o t ag g r av ated traf f ick in g u n d er sectio n 4 1 -2 9 -1 3 9 (g ). We ag ree.
A c co rd in g ly , w e af

f irm G u s s’s co n v ictio n , b u t w e rev erse an d rem an d th e c ase to th e trial

co u rt f o r resen ten cin g u n d er th e traf f ick in g statu te. ¶1 7

. A F F IR M E D IN P A R T ; R E VE R S E D A N D R E M A N D E D IN P A R T
.
C A R L T O N A N D J
. W IL S O N , P .J J
. , G R E E N L E E , W E S T B R O O K S , T I N D E L L , M cD O N A L D , L A W R E N C E , M c C A R T Y A N D C

. W IL S O N , J J ., C O N C U R
.

7